Napier Port workshop transformed into art space

Franchessa Lean is changing the atmosphere of Napier Port's workshops. Photo / Supplied

It's not often that you find a collection of paintings hanging amongst the grease and grime of a mechanic's workshop, but emerging local artist Franchessa Lean is changing that.

A long-serving staff member at Napier Port, Franchessapicked up a brush for the first time last year and discovered a talent for painting. She says learning to paint has been a long-held dream, but it wasn't until she stumbled across classes with Humanity Painters in Hastings that she decided to take the leap.

"I signed up for a class with Helen Kerridge, the founding artist at Humanity Painters, and fell in love with painting. I haven't looked back since," she says.

She says that painting is a great antidote to the hustle and bustle of her day job managing the administration of the port's workshop, which keeps the company's cranes and container forklifts humming.

"It's a highly complex, dynamic environment inside the port, and there are always plenty of things to be done. Painting is a great contrast – it's slow, it's focused, and it's calming. It's very therapeutic at the end of a busy day."

The inspiration for many of Franchessa's paintings is drawn straight from her work environment, with some of her early works including an acrylic study of a tug boat, and another titled "Wall of Wood" depicting logs stacked high on the wharf.

"I'm inspired by the diversity of the port environment – there seems to be a new painting around every corner."

Her artworks have drawn an enthusiastic response from her colleagues at Napier Port, who are some of her biggest fans.

"I often bring my paintings into work once they're complete, and display them in the workshop or around the office. The Napier Port family have been a wonderful source of encouragement and support, and give me the confidence to keep experimenting as I give something new a go."

Franchessa's work will be on show at the Humanity Painters exhibition, Fertile Minds, at the Hastings Community Art Centre on Rus from September 24 to October 6.

She will be joined by more than 70 other artists, with the annual exhibition showcasing around 300 paintings. This year's guest speaker is local artist and EIT tutor Michael Hawksworth, and the exhibition is expected to draw hundreds of people to its grand opening.